FIRST STEPS / Beginner
EXERCICES DE
PRONONCIATION
In French, when vowels are followed by “m” or “n” in the same syllable, the sounds are nasal — the air goes through the nose. The “m” and “n” are not pronounced. There is no corresponding sound in English.
an, en, em, am – These four combinations are pronounced exactly the same way!
Maman, tente, plan, chante, pente, excellent, lentement, prend, an, en, comment, clan, France, change, emmener, empoigner, campagne, camp, ensemble
on – For this one, repeat after your teacher or the audio.
bon, montre, non, oncle, chanson, tonton, ronde, pondre, conte, son, Léon, accordéon, annonce, concorde
There is one more vowel combination you should know about:
oi – This is pronounced like the “ou” sound (as in “school”) + the sound of “a” (as in “la-la-la”).
roi, choisir, moi, poison, toi, oiseau, boire, croire, trois, émoi, joie, croise, soi, noisette, bois
in, ein, ain – These combinations are identical in sound, too.
fin, maintenant, vin, chagrin, moulin, feinte, demain, mince, prochain, ainsi, vain, divin, plein, masculin, féminin
un – Again, repeat after your teacher or the audio.
lundi, brun, un, aucun, chacun, commun, opportun, Autun, Verdun, Melun
